New measures put in place to avert dam collapses

China has gone three consecutive years without a dam collapse, an unprecedented achievement despite growing flood control challenges linked to climate change, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference, Wang Baoen, vice-minister of water resources, described reservoirs as key infrastructure of significant importance.

"Reservoirs are essential infrastructure with multiple functions, including flood control, water supply, power generation and ecological conservation," Wang said. "They play an irreplaceable role in safeguarding lives and property, promoting socioeconomic development and maintaining overall social stability."

He noted, however, that managing reservoirs remains a difficult task.

"Amid global climate change, the country has seen an increasing frequency of extreme rainfall and flood disasters that break historical records," Wang said.

That has created a complex challenge for risk prevention and safety management, underscoring the need for heightened vigilance, he added.

Wang outlined a series of measures the ministry has taken to address the situation, including strengthening safety accountability in reservoir management, with a particular focus on small reservoirs that typically lack dedicated management bodies.

Before each flood season, the ministry ensures that administrative, technical and inspection personnel are assigned to small reservoirs. Local authorities are also guided in arranging emergency response teams and preparing relief supplies in advance for all reservoirs, he said.

He stressed that the ministry is paying particular attention to aging reservoirs, implementing reinforcement and remediation measures immediately upon detecting damages to eliminate safety hazards.

The ministry has also stepped up efforts to enhance safety monitoring in small reservoirs. Since 2021, it has been installing precipitation and flood monitoring facilities at all reservoirs and equipping dams with safety monitoring devices where conditions permit, he said.

Zhang Wenjie, director of the ministry's Department of Water Project Operation Management, highlighted different approaches the authorities have taken to improve the oversight of small reservoirs.

China has 94,800 reservoirs, of which 95 percent are classified as small, according to the ministry.

In some counties and townships, local governments have outsourced small reservoir maintenance to qualified institutions for unified management, Zhang said. In other regions, authorities have assigned large reservoir management bodies to oversee nearby smaller ones, leveraging their personnel and equipment.

Since 2021, over 48,200 small reservoirs that were previously managed in a decentralized manner have been placed under professionalized maintenance, she said.

During flood control seasons, 174,000 administrative, technical and inspection personnel have been dispatched to small reservoirs. Additionally, authorities have created public welfare positions for patrolling reservoirs, hiring 114,000 people, she said.

"This mechanism delivers a win-win outcome — improving reservoir management — while generating local employment for disadvantaged communities, thereby strengthening the foundation and driving momentum for rural vitalization," Zhang said.

houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn